Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Wednesday for two men caught up in a drug bust late last week in Altoona.
 
Brock Bantum and Steven Miller are facing charges after allegedly trying to make a crack sale to a confidential informant at a local playground.
 
A three month investigation, along with a little help from residents, led to the arrests on Friday
 
Calls came in from a group of citizens in a “playground watch” effort, alerting police to drug deals going down at the Booker T. Washington Playground as well as the Nehemiah Project Playground on 16th Avenue and 10th Street.
 
Selling drugs within 250 feet of a playground ups the ante when it comes to the penalty against dealers.
 
Police accuse Bantum, formerly of Philadelphia, of calling the shots and Miller of being the middleman. A search of Bantum's 1529 10th Street home turned up more than an ounce of crack cocaine valued at more than $5,000.
 
Charges against Bantum include two counts of delivery and conspiracy of crack cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine.
 
Miller was charged with four counts of delivery and conspiracy of crack cocaine and related charges.